CEBU CITY, Philippines – A seaman who had just arrived in Cebu, his friend and three women were killed early Sunday when the car they riding in collided with a prime mover pulling a trailer loaded with cement on the South Coastal Road in Cebu City.
The fatalities were identified as Rustico Bas, Oscar Oñeo, Rosete Capala, 45, and Alma Basalo and her cousin, Gwendolyn Basalo, both in their 20s.
Bas, 48, of Barangay (village) Poblacion in Talisay City, was a widower whose wife died of cancer in 2011. He left behind a seven-year-old son.
Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) operations officer Joy Tumulak said Bas was a seaman who arrived home from the United States a week ago.
The three women were at the backseat while Oñeo was at the front seat of the Hyundai sedan (plate number 7AT-138 756) driven and owned by Bas.
Tumulak said the victims came from Cebu City and were heading home to Talisay area when they collided with the prime mover at 3:44 a.m. at the South Coastal Road, which connected Cebu City to Talisay City.
The prime mover, driven by Danilo Cojo, 48, was pulling a trailer (plate number GDG 400) loaded 700 sacks of cement from Tinaan, Naga City, that were to be delivered to the port in Cebu City.
Cojo was detained at the Parian Police Station to face charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide.
Tumulak said Cojo claimed that he was approaching near SM Seaside Mall when he noticed an incoming car that was crisscrossing the road.
The car later swerved to the opposite lane, went over the center island and hit the prime mover.
Since the prime mover was cruising at 60 kilometers per hour, it did not stop immediately even if Cojo had applied the brakes. The prime mover, instead, dragged the car by 92 meters.
Tumulak said Citom personnel, who were on patrol at the South Road Properties in Barangay Mambaling heard a loud thud.
The Citom personnel found the victims inside the car – all with head injuries. They were no longer responding when they were brought to the hospital.
Bas and the three women were pronounced dead on arrival. Oñeo died a few hours later.